David Cassidy is back LET'S DO LUNCH

As the star of "The Partridge Family," which ran from 1970 to 1974, David Cassidy became a lunch-box icon. Over one million metal meal totes stamped with his face were sold in the early '70s, along with zillions of David dolls and coloring books.

And then there were those records. As Keith, the lead singer of the Partridge clan, which also featured his mother Shirley Jones, Danny Bonaduce and Susan Dey, Mr. Cassidy was a one-man version of the New Kids on the Block. As a solo artist, he had several gold records, including "I Think I Love You," which sold six million copies.

He has two new movies coming out -- including "Spirit of '76," a bicentennial/disco spoof -- not to mention a new album, the appropriately titled "David Cassidy."

Q: To you, what is the most exciting thing about your comeback?

A: People are listening to the songs. People are coming up to me and saying, "I never thought I'd buy a David Cassidy record. I know 'The Partridge Family' was really successful, but frankly I hated the old stuff you did and I love this." When you can turn it around -- how great!

Q: Tell the truth -- did you and Susan Dey ever have anything going on the set of "The Partridge Family?"

A: We had a lot going, but I was always on the road, she was always going out with older men, so we had to settle for being really close friends. She's like a sister. And I'm thrilled for her success on "L.A. Law."

Q: In the '70s, you were constantly surrounded by ravenous groupies. With a new album out, how do you feel about the possibility of a resurgence in David Cassidy mania?

A: Groupies are scary, man. People have always been kind of weird with me. I attract strange people.

Q: Can you pinpoint one specific scary groupie incident?

A: You would have had to have been there, I guess, to believe the madness. I did have one unbelievable thing happen. There was this one girl who moved from Greece to Los Angeles in 1977 to be near me. Somehow she found out where I lived and she moved into my air-conditioning unit for six weeks. Honest to God! I'm not lying, ask my ex-wife. She lived in the air-conditioning unit on the outside of my house!

Totally wild! And I only found out because one night she left the unit to take a walk and somebody tried to rape her and she was screaming bloody murder and I came out and saved her. I took her to a hotel, put her up for five days. I called the Greek consulate and said, "Look, this person came here, she's not well-adjusted, she's been living in my air-conditioning unit and I insist that you fly her home." I really didn't think it was my obligation to put her up for more than five days. If 50 weird people did that, can you imagine what my hotel bills would have been like?

Q: In the '70s, millions of girls plastered their bedrooms with life-size posters of you. Who were the people you had posted on your walls when you were growing up?